Words Fall Through Me
by MoreThanTonight
Summary: Badboy!Kurt, Nerd!Sebastian. In a world where the name of your soulmate gets etched on your wrist upon seeing them, Sebastian meets his soulmate Kurt Hummel on his first day of school at McKinley. The only problem is that Sebastian has Kurt's name on his wrist, but Kurt's wrists are bare. Title from the Glen Hansard song Falling Slowly.
1. Chapter 1

The pungent stench of public school hit Sebastian's nostrils like a glass of milk that had been out in the sun too long. Rotten, foul and nauseating. He had no idea why his parents wanted him to go to a public school when there was a perfectly good private school in the state. It was even a boarding school and he wouldn't have to try to find a vacant parking spot the way he was now.

Being new was never easy, but Sebastian imagined that being new at a public school was a hundred times worse. This would be the first time he set foot in a school like this and he was already looking forward to pumping the speed pedal with his foot on the way home again. But how hard could it be, right? All he had to do was to get in, go to class, find someone to sit with at lunch and then go back home. If all these hundred people could do that, so could he.

"Hey, new kid!"

Oh god, why were they talking to him? How could they know that he was new? Weren't there hundreds of other at the school? Oh right. He had the misfortune of starting two entire weeks after everyone else.

"You are from Paris, right? That is so _tres fag_," he heard from behind and for a moment he wanted to just stop and pretend to not exist. How was it possible that they could just single him out in a crowd and know things about him? Sebastian was sure that their parents weren't rich enough to hire private detectives and even if they did, why would he be on their list? That was insane.

He pushed away the random thought and tried to ignore the taunting laughter behind him as he made way to the office.

The thing about starting at a new school after everyone else was knowing that the other kids had made friends and no matter how hard you tried, you would still be the outsider. The kid that no one wants to talk to. But the really pressing matter was the map he was holding in his hand. It couldn't be that hard; getting from one place to the other. But he had no idea how to read the map that was only half visible due to the school's printer running on low ink. Public school really sucked.

"Excuse me? Could you-.." The person Sebastian tried to stop just walked past him as though he didn't exist. How rude. He was a tall boy and there was no way that they hadn't seen him. He was starting to understand that this year was going to be so much harder than he thought it would be.

That was when Sebastian saw him.

He stood out like a shining beacon and for a second it seemed as though the crowd just swirled around him, like a leaves in a whirlwind. Sebastian forgot that he was supposed to get to class. He forgot that he was supposed to navigate in the foreign building. All he could think about was this boy, slightly shorter than him, but not by much. His dark hair was pulled up in a swirly coif and Sebastian could clearly see the pink streaks that decorated his dark brown hair. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of light, but it was just the reflection from the simple, silver stud on the right side of his nose. The boy's attire was so unlike his own, but the contrast didn't shock him. He was too mesmerised by the sight of him. Where Sebastian was wearing a pair of boring blue jeans, the boy wore tight black pants that were slightly ripped, exposing his beautifully fair skin. Where Sebastian was wearing a dark green polo, the boy was wearing a simple, soft cotton shirt with a black leather jacket thrown over his shoulders. The boy was talking to a girl with shocking blue hair and Sebastian noticed the flicker of silver from the piercing on his tongue.

That was when he felt it.

Sebastian had heard about it one too many times. He heard how it was different for everybody, but they all described the same scratching feeling on your wrist. The same tingling sensation in the pit of your stomach – not unlike the one you have right before an orgasm. The instantaneous longing, as though he had to get to him that very moment or something bad would happen.

But that exact moment, the bell rang and the corridor was yet again a chaotic mess of students trying to find their way to their first class of the day. The boy was gone. Sebastian stood there alone, with a map and his registration slip in his hand as he slowly rolled up the sleeve of his polo.

_Kurt Hummel_

During the entire class, he couldn't stop rubbing his thumb over his clothed wrist. He felt closer to Kurt in a way when he did that, as though the name on his wrist was a direct link to the mysterious boy himself.

"Mr. Smythe! Do you want detention on your first day here?" a shrill voice broke his line of thought. Sebastian heard snickers behind him and his cheeks flushed involuntarily. "No ma'am.."

"Then you better open your book and start reading like everyone else!"

Sebastian had hoped that he would see the mysterious boy at class, but he had no such luck. Kurt, his mind told him. Kurt Hummel, that's his name. And it was such a beautiful name too, wasn't it? A name fit for the gorgeous boy.

_Kurt_. He wished he could shout the name out to the word, he wanted to taste it on his tongue, he wanted to hear the words roll off his tongue effortlessly. He wanted to at least whisper it to himself to make it feel real. To make sure that it wasn't just a dream.

With his face to the book, he whispered the name softly, like it was a magical spell that could save him from the darkness that was the horror of public schools.

"Mr. Smythe! Do you really want that detention?"

Sebastian's eyes shot up in fear as he looked at the English teacher and shook his head. He had never had a single detention in his life before. "I was.. I was just reading," he murmured timidly, trying to block out the taunting sound of snickers.

"Well, in this class, we read silently!" the teacher snapped.

He hung his head in shame and tried to make the least of himself until lunch.

Sebastian learned something new about public schools during lunch. They weren't just vile and tasteless. They were also the closest he had been to a jungle. He was used to people queuing politely, but here it seemed as though the person with the sharpest elbows got served first. And all the animals – cough, students – had their own groups of species. He tried to categorise them all in his mind, but he stopped somewhere between the Jamaican group that looked stoned and the cheerleaders with their scandalous outfits. Where those skirts even long enough to fulfil school regulation?

At the end he spotted a table with a few kids who had their noses in their respective books. From afar he noticed that one of the girls was reading The Iliad by Homer. Sebastian had read that book. Maybe he could sit there. It didn't look like they were interested in a conversation and that suited him perfectly. He just wanted a table to sit at.

But apparently he wasn't cool enough to sit with the bookworms judging by the way they shot hostile glances at him when he tried to come near their table. With a resigned sigh, he took his tray with him to sit on the grass outside.

That was when he saw him again. The beautiful boy with the pink streaked hair that made him look more attractive than normal guys, ethereal in a way. A faint blush tainted the tanned skin on his cheeks and he looked away quickly. From the corner of his eyes, he registered the swirling smoke that Kurt blew from his deliciously pink lips and wrinkled his nose. He had never been a fan of cigarettes and found them foul, but there was something about the way Kurt sucked on them with that bored, but yet content look on his face. He caught himself in staring again, but there was something so incredibly mesmerizing about the boy and he couldn't look away.

"Are your eyes glued to my face or are you just mentally handicapped?" a delicate voice asked him and Sebastian almost couldn't believe it when he realised that it was _Kurt_ who was talking to him. Kurt, his soulmate. The boy he would spend the rest of his life with if he were lucky. But from the way Kurt looked at him, it was clear that he was unaware of their bond. It tugged on Sebastian's heart to know that the other boy didn't feel the attraction that he felt.

"N-No," he muttered, averting his gaze again, all though he just wanted to stare at him all day long. And god, wasn't that a cheesy thought? He was certain that he was above that.

And with that it seemed as though Kurt was done with the conversation. He peered up carefully only to find the boy looking at another direction. From this angle he saw that there was a thin line of eyeliner framing his intensely blue eyes. But it was all the more obvious that they boy didn't feel the bond between them. Sebastian had read about cases like these and it wasn't so unusual for one of the bonded parts to be bound before the other. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the reason for that, that some people didn't accept the notion of love as quickly as others, but he was calmed by the thought that sooner or later it would always worked out. He had never heard about a bonding that had gone wrong. There were whispered rumours, of course, but nothing that was written in a book or an article. In retrospect maybe there was a reason why he hadn't read about cases like that.

"Excuse me?" Sebastian asked boldly, looking at Kurt who hadn't registered that he was talking to him. "Kurt?"

That certainly caught his attention, making Kurt turn his head slowly for the emphasis. "How do you know my name?"

Oh no. He hadn't planned this. He hadn't thought it through enough. He should have made a detailed plan first, preferably with diagrams and information boxes. He would definitely have to buy a new bulletin board for his room to dedicate to Kurt. And telling Kurt that he was his soulmate didn't seem like a good idea for some reason. He didn't want to scare the boy away. Besides, what was he supposed to say? _Hi, I'm Sebastian and I want to marry you and have beautiful blue eyes babies with you?_ Yeah, no. "I uh… I heard some of the other kids say it," he fumbled, piercing a straw in his juice box.

"What do you want?" Kurt sighed, taking a deep drag from the cigarette before flicking it to the ground. Sebastian stared at the way Kurt's boots stumped it out, the action sexier than he was willing to admit. "Do you want a cigarette?" Kurt asked with a suspicious stare. "But I warn you, they are not for free."

The timid boy shook his head. "No, no.. I don't smoke," he explained, but the explanation must have fallen short as Kurt just looked at him as though he was bored and wanted him to get to the point.

"I don't need anything.. I'm new here," Sebastian smiled nervously. "I'm Sebastian, Sebastian Smythe."

"..Did I ask you for your name?" Kurt drawled, lighting another cigarette while Sebastian just shook his head.

"It only seemed fair that you know mine now that I know yours."

"Listen, new kid. I don't care about your name and I don't care about your preppy little ass. I'm not looking for friends and if you knew what was best for you, you wouldn't try to be my friend either. Your filthy rich daddy wouldn't approve," he sneered, taking a step forward as he puffed smoke towards Sebastian.

Despite the fact that Sebastian was sitting on the floor, the sharp smell of pollution made him cough. Suddenly Kurt's standing frame seemed so much more intimidating than it was. "I don't care what my father thinks," he exclaimed, trying to ignore the way his eyes were burning from coughing. Putting the tray on the ground next to him, he removed his glasses to wipe them, mostly just for something to do while trying not to stare at Kurt.

"You think making friends with me will make you look cool? Are you dead bored of your perfect life and want to rebel? You think tattoos and piercings will impress your southern belle girlfriends?"

The statement hung in the air for a moment or two before he shook his head slowly. "I.. I'm not into girls," Sebastian blurted out. He had no idea what drove him to admit that out loud when he was so far into the closet as he could be. Ever since elementary school he had known that he liked boys, but he had never plucked up the nerves to tell anyone, let alone his parents. Instead he had hidden behind his glasses and books, using that as an excuse to why he had never had a girlfriend. Not that people asked him. One look at him and they filed him under the lowlife nerd category. And surprisingly enough, it didn't bother him at all.

But apparently his recent coming out made Kurt quirk an eyebrow, which was the best reaction he had gotten from him this far. "So you want a quickie? Is that why you are pestering me with your presence?"

Sebastian's face turned a blistering shade of red and he shook his head furiously. "Oh my god.. No, no! That was.. I'm not.." he sputtered, and to his surprise, Kurt started laughing.

"You should look at your face. God, you are such a virgin, aren't you?" Sebastian couldn't even get annoyed at the condescending voice he had because Kurt was actually laughing. He was laughing and he was sure that if angels existed, that was what their song would sound like.

"I'm not some floozy," he said offhandishly, huffing up his chest in pride. In all honesty, how many juniors had sex? He was sure that at least half of them were just making it up. The statistics just didn't match with what people said.

The laugh on Kurt's lips died away and his jaw tightened. "I don't care what you call me," he said curtly.

"No! Oh my god.. That was not what I meant.." Sebastian muttered. "I just.. What I meant was that I'm not looking for some.. uh.. quickie. I'm.. trying to be your.. friend?" he added the last part as a question, a hopeful look filling his eyes as he looked up at Kurt.

Kurt took a new drag from his cigarette and Sebastian was absolutely certain that he did it just to torture him. Just to keep him hanging on his thin, thin thread of hope. "Why?" he finally asked after blowing out the grey smoke, this time away from the taller boy.

Sebastian's lunch lay forgotten on the grass beside him as he stood up, towering slightly over Kurt as he shrugged awkwardly. "You seem.. interesting," he said, before realising that it wasn't enough. If he was to win Kurt over, he needed more. He needed something that would make Kurt feel good about himself. Flattery was the best way into someone's heart, or so he had read somewhere. He would never admit it out loud, but he had actually read self-help books on how to come in contact with people. "You are not like the others here. You don't just follow a flock leader and you look so… unique. I like that," he added with a grin as he straightened his glasses.

Kurt scrutinised him for a moment, but there had to be something in Sebastian's words that sparked his curiosity. "The skanks meet up under the bleachers during last period," he said, as though he was regretting it already. "I don't usually hang out with them, but they are good people. Crazy, but good. Be there and we'll see if you are worth wasting time on or not," he said with a soft shrug before aiming his cigarette butt towards the garbage bin this time. Sebastian almost expected it to catch fire, but was mildly disappointed when it didn't. He had hoped that it would match the fireworks in his heart from Kurt's words. He wanted so badly to be there and even though it wasn't exactly a candlelit dinner or even a date, he couldn't wait to spend more time with Kurt. There was only one problem.

"But during last period? Don't you have class? I do. Can't I come after class?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder. "That's the whole point, dumbass. We ditch last period because no one likes last period." And with that he didn't even throw Sebastian a second glance before walking away.

Sebastian felt his heart race in his chest, almost as though it was trying to defy the laws of physics. He felt lightheaded just from this little conversation with Kurt, but he was still left starving for more. It was as though Kurt was oxygen and he needed him to life, as stupid as that sounded. He was well aware that oxygen was in the air around him, along with other gases. He knew that he technically didn't need Kurt to live as long as he had a fully functioning heart and body. He knew that the slight tugging he felt to the beautiful, but yet intimidating boy was the chemicals being released in his body because of the bond. But at the same time it was as though he didn't care about logic or reason. He, Sebastian Smythe, was going to skip his first class today.

AN: I haven't written a long fic in a while, so I'm kinda nervous about this. Tell me what you think? :)


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you so much for the positive feedback, it really means a lot to me that people are enjoying this. I'm opting for shorter chapters and more frequent updates because with the way my school timetable looks, I have no idea when to get the time to write a long chapter. So I'm squeezing updates between free periods and cramming for exams. Now, on to the chapter. **

As Sebastian snuck out of the school building, he couldn't believe that he was actually doing it. He was sneaking out of school in the middle of the day, forgetting everything about his academics and school regulations. Oh god, he was going to become one of those people who give up on school and start dealing drugs, wasn't he? He would have to repeat high school for the rest of his life. He was going to be one of those old people who sat on the first row who still didn't understand simple calculus. One thing was certain; he was doomed.

The bleachers looked like a metal version of Mordor as he approached and he looked skittishly at both sides, as though someone would catch him and call his parents. He could hear the stern voice of his father that could make him tremble just from him shouting at him. He hated it when he shouted at him, but luckily it didn't happen that often and whenever his father shouted at him for something he hadn't done, his mother would come and sing for him afterwards to make him feel better.

"Uhm.. Hi, guys," Sebastian made his presence clear, his eyes glued to the tiny pebbles on the ground. Even though he was sure that the surveillance cameras around school could pick up on his whereabouts, it felt safer under the metal construction. He felt closed out from the rest of the world in a way.

In all honesty, he had expected a better welcome than a grunt from one of the girls and piercing stares from all of them expect for Kurt who was standing leaned against a metal post, smoking quietly.

"So, you are the kid our boy Hummel invited?" a Latino girl looked at him as though he was some kind of vermin and Sebastian instinctively pulled the sleeve of his sweater further down, completely making sure that Kurt's name on his wrist was covered.

"Yes," he said flatly, not knowing what else to say. "And you are..?"

"It's Santana, but if you get on my bad side, I'm going to unleash my inner Snix on you!" she said in a fierce voice, barring her teeth. "And you don't want me to do that, because she is going to make mince out of your sorry little ass!"

Mild case of personality disorder, Sebastian noted.

"Don't look at me with your judgy lit-"

"Santana, that's enough," Kurt said, before taking a drag from his cigarette. The words from him seemed to have an impact on the girl, as she took a step back and crossed her arms over her enlarged chest.

There were three girls there in total plus Kurt, so Sebastian assumed that they were the skanks. From the way Kurt talked about them before, it seemed as though he wasn't really a part of the group, but he couldn't be sure. There was that Latino girl Santana, another girl with bright pink hair and a nose ring. Sebasitan thought he noticed her from some cheerleading pictures in the hallway. She looked a lot like the head cheerleader a few years back. The last one was an asian goth girl with an ugly beanie. Even Sebastian had better taste than that, but when he looked at the girls, he could never even imagine getting attracted to any of them – gay or not. But Kurt on the other hand, he looked like his own personal Adonis. Sebastian couldn't explain it. There was just _something_ that attracted him to Kurt, even though 'the skanks' weren't exactly what he would call good company. He was sure that the Asian girl hadn't even washed her hair in weeks, and judging the red stain on Santana's shirt, it had to be ketchup or.. god forbid.. blood. He didn't even want to ask.

"So, uhm.. I'm here," Sebastian said weakly, putting his hands in his pocket.

"I didn't think you would come. I thought you would be scared to disappoint daddy," Kurt said in a low voice, but he didn't have to raise his voice to be heard.

"I told you, I'm not like that. I can make my own decisions," he said firmly, even though he didn't feel that certain. He was still a good boy, wasn't he? He was still a good student who only got A's and praise from teachers during parent-teacher conferences.

"Well, then you won't have anything against helping us slash Figgins' tires," Kurt said and it struck Sebastian how it sounded more like a statement or a command rather than a question. As thought Kurt had full control of the situation and he was merely a pawn who Kurt could move as he wanted to. Why couldn't Sebastian say no? What was so empowering with this boy that he couldn't muster the strength to even _want_ to say no to him?

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because he is the worst principal in the area. No other principal is this irresponsible or corrupt. He is willing to compromise his students' safety and the sanity of his teachers in favour of adding to his wallet and it is unacceptable, I won't stand for it," the girl with the bright pink hair said, and Sebastian noticed that she wasn't dumb. She seemed smarter than people would have given her credit for. A rebel with a cause.

"Lucy," she presented herself.

"I thought your name was Quinn?"

"That is the name the anti-feministic chauvinists forced me to take. They want me to be a perfect blond Barbie with the flawless hourglass shaped body just to please their own eyes, as the pigs they are. No, my name is Lucy."

Sebastian couldn't help but respect her just a little bit.

"So are you in or what, rich boy?" Santana raised her voice. Was she even capable of speaking without making everything sound like an insult?

Sebastian's eyes darted to where Kurt was standing, the cigarette dangling from his slender lips, shrouding him in a thin cloud of mysterious smoke. He found Kurt staring back at him intently, judging him, evaluating his every move. Sebastian could feel a tingling sensation creeping under his skin, only it felt uncomfortable this time. He didn't want to slash the principle's tires and he would definitely get caught, but he didn't want to seem weak in front of Kurt either.

"I'll do it."

The words sounded firm and clear, like the person Sebastian wanted to be. The person Sebastian was so direly trying to be. Fake it 'til you make it, right?

That was how Sebastian found himself in front of the black SUV with Santana's switchblade in hand. He didn't know how the girl was allowed to bring the weapon to school, but he knew that the switchblade would be buried in his gut if he told on her.

The Asian girl – he learned her name was Tina – was looking out for the principle by the school main entrance, Lucy was positioned at the back entrance, Santana had mysteriously disappeared and Kurt was on the other side of the car. Apparently driving a blade through rubber tires was harder than it sounded and it was a two-man job. He wished he could see Kurt on the other side of the car, but thus far he could only make out his black Doc Marten boots.

He heard a whistle and his mind registered it as the signal. From there on, he worked on autopilot and switched off his mind. Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping in his veins, maybe it was the original insanity that prompted him to do it, but he didn't feel any remorse when he felt the sharp metal sink into the study rubber and a soft sound of air rushing out was clear for even him to hear.

He didn't feel regret, he didn't feel sorry for the poor man who had to find another ride home and then find a way to replace his tires. He didn't think that this small action would hurt someone else. But mostly, he was lying to himself. He felt all of this, he felt it like a burning flame reaching closer and closer to him, but he constantly tried to shove it away. Keep himself numb for now. He would never get Kurt's acceptance if he backed out now.

Just as he was about to move on to the next tire, he heard another sound, but it was a double whistle this time. He couldn't remember what the double whistle was. Maybe it was just a bird. But then he heard the shuffling of shoes and the next thing he registered was Kurt sending him a look before running away. When he turned around, Lucy and Tina were nowhere to be found. Instead a very confused Principle Figgins was rushing towards him.

"You slashed my tires!"

Sebastian felt his blood go cold. He felt the cool metal blade in his hand, contrasting the heat in his cheeks. "I…" He could protest and say that it wasn't him, but who would believe him when he was caught red-handed with a knife in hand and with the others out of sight?

"You come with me right now! I am calling your parents and you are going to pay for this, you little scoundrel!", the Principle shouted in an accent that made Sebastian want to laugh, but any notion of humour stilled when the words sunk in. His parents would be called. His father.

Sebastian was dragged into his office by Figgins and from the corner of his eyes, he saw Kurt, Santana, Lucy and Tina looking at him, but not moving from their spot. He sent Kurt a desperate look, pleading for help, but the boy just looked away.

When Sebastian was inside, the gang walked away as though nothing had happened. Sebastian was not one of them. Kurt turned his head to look at the school one more time. Sebastian was already inside. Kurt could go there and confess to being an accomplice, but then both of them would get in trouble. Who was Sebastian to him anyway? Just a kid who wasn't smart enough to run when he was told to. With that thought in mind, Kurt walked away from the school.

AN: I know that there isn't much Kurtbastian dialogue in this chapter, but I was going for a more wordless interaction. I hope it worked.

Reviews are love :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Sebastian! How could you do something like that? That was not how I raised you!"

Sebastian looked up at his mother with a wary expression. Her knuckles were turning white from how hard she was clutching the steering wheel and if he were in a better situation, he would have pointed out how dangerous it is to drive while yelling at your son. But the fact of the matter was that right now she would be even angrier if he said anything, so he sunk back on the leather seat and tried to be as invisible as possible.

"Say something instead of letting me yell alone like a mad woman!"

"I told you, ma.. I'm sorry…" Sebastian sighed tiredly. He had already apologised a million times at the principle's office, but it didn't seem to be enough. It never seemed to be enough. What was it with parents who asked for an apology when they weren't ready to hear it? It wasn't like she was going to yell any less.

"Why did you do it, Bastian? This is not how you used to be. You used to be so good. Is it the public school? I knew it was a bad decision to send you there. You are rebelling, aren't you?" Wisteria Smythe frowned, her eyes never leaving the road. "I knew that I should have sent you to Dalton!"

Could it be that only a few hours ago he had wished that he was a student at Dalton and not that crappy public school? But now just the thought of being away from Kurt repulsed him. He wanted to be able to see him every day and his wrist burned softly at the thought of being hours away from his soulmate, as though it was agreeing with him that it was a bad idea.

Sebastian pulled the sleeve of his polo down to hide his mark. This had to be his secret for now. With all the excitement that day, it was easy to forget that his parents still thought he that he was straight guy who loved girls.

"No, ma! It is not the school. I just messed up, okay? I thought it would make me look cool and get me some new friends," he said. It wasn't technically a lie and he didn't have to say a word about who these new friends were.

"Bastian…" his mother sighed wistfully. "I know how hard it is for you to get friends, darling, but you know that you can't act like this. Those people who think you are cool because you destroy other people's properties aren't worth it, baby. You are just lucky that the school called me and not your dad."

That caught Sebastian's attention. "Dad doesn't know? Ma, please don't tell him. Please!" he begged, staring at her to no avail as her eyes were fixed on the road.

The only reply he got was a small nod that made him breath out in relief and lean his head against the seat.

He didn't see Kurt at school the whole of next day and he even tried to look for the rest of the girls who called themselves the skanks, but it could have been as though they never existed at all. The only proof that he hadn't made them up in his mind was the mark on his wrist that spelled out Kurt's name in a beautiful script. It was the most beautiful tattoo anyone could wish for, but the boy who was even more beautiful was nowhere to be found.

Sebastian sat outside alone during lunch as usual, but even he realised that he needed to get some friends so that he wouldn't have to freeze his ass off during winter. Preferably some friends who didn't get him in trouble. What kind of friends ran away when an accomplice got caught, anyway? The more he thought about it, the more he regretted not telling principle Figgins about them. It would have served them right. Not Kurt, of course. Never Kurt. But the other girls should have taken the fall with him. He didn't even know them, why should he protect them then?

It was only the next day (exactly 47 hours and 30 minutes after the first time he set his eyes on Kurt Hummel, but it was not like he was counting) that he saw Kurt again. This time his mesmerizing eyes were framed with a turquoise smokey eyeshadow that looked stunning against his skin and Sebastian couldn't help but stare.

Kurt looked uneasy as he approached Sebastian and the latter boy realised a little too late that he was staring openly.

"I guess I owe you a thank you for not ratting us out," Kurt said with a shrug and Sebastian realised that he had almost forgotten how heavenly his voice was. It was almost too easy to forget that he was mad at him and his little gang.

"Don't mention it."

"Fine."

Sebastian looked down at the boy who was just slightly shorter than him. Apparently Kurt wasn't big on small talk, but the moment the conversation was over, Kurt would be gone and as stupid as it seemed, he wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Even though he could clearly hear his mother's voice in his head, warning him to stay away.

"You guys could have helped me out, you know?" he added with a hint of resentment in his voice.

Kurt didn't say anything, but Sebastian noticed the way his jaw tightened. He was momentarily distracted by how deliciously pale his skin was. Like snow white, he thought. He wondered what it would look like if Kurt blushed. Or god forbid, if he ever wore red.

"I guess you are invited to the bleachers during last period."

Sebastian licked his lips slowly and shook his head.

"I really shouldn't.."

"Your loss," Kurt shrugged and turned around to walk away.

How did he do it? Be so completely nonchalant and not even know that he was standing in front of his soulmate? Didn't Kurt feel it? The dull ache when they weren't together, the never-ending magnetic pull towards the other?

"Hey, Kurt!" Sebastian called after him as he jogged to catch up. Was this really it? Was he caving in already? He had planned this speech in his mind where he would chastise Kurt for running away and where Kurt would take his hand and apologise, then invite him out for dinner to make amends. But now that he thought about it, it was just a silly daydream.

When Kurt didn't acknowledge him, he spoke nevertheless. "I don't think it is a good idea for me to skip school, but if you are up for it we could maybe hang out after school?"

It took Sebastian a lot of courage to ask that question and he winced at how his voice cracked at the end. As a habit, his fingers flew up to straighten his glasses as he focused on Kurt's pink highlight stripes instead of his mind-blowing eyes.

When Kurt stopped, he mirrored his action and stopped in the middle of the hallway. A freshman student bumped into him and muttered something rude under his breath, but Sebastian barely noticed.

"Listen here, just because your family is filthy rich and you drive a nice car that almost none of the other students here can afford doesn't mean that I'm going to bow down to your every whim and it certainly doesn't force me to be friends with you, no matter how badly you want it," Kurt said in a calm voice, but Sebastian wished that he had yelled instead. That would have felt better instead of the slow feeling of a knife driving into his gut.

"I never.. I didn't say that.. I don't expect you to.." Sebastian stuttered, blushing furiously as he stared down at the ground.

"Of course you don't," Kurt retorted sarcastically. "I know your type, Sebastian. You guys get dead tired of your perfect life and want to rebel to get daddy's attention. But when it comes to the real deal, you guys are not brave enough to do it. I have better things to do than to waste my time on you," Kurt spat, sending Sebastian a merciless glare that the taller boy cowered under.

"You don't understand.. We have to be friends.. I have to get to know you," Sebastian blurted out, looking aware. Even looking at the gross couple making out by the lockers was better than looking at Kurt's intense glare right now.

"Why?"

"We've been through this before, haven't we? I have this strange déjà vu feeling," Sebastian muttered.

"You are avoiding the question."

"It doesn't matter. And you know what?" Sebastian's voice rose as he shook his head, unable to look into Kurt's eyes. "I was brave enough to do what you guys asked me to and I was brave enough to own up to it when you guys ran like cowards, so don't you dare say that I'm not brave enough for the real deal." Sebastian's voice was shaking, his heart racing in his chest and he felt adrenalin pump in his veins. He was finally standing up to himself, something he did too rarely.

When Kurt just stared at him, Sebastian bit his lip. "You guys left me there alone – _you_ left me there alone, Kurt. When I trusted you."

"You shouldn't have trusted me," Kurt's voice sounded delicate and soft, and if Sebastian wasn't imagining things, there was vulnerability there too that he hadn't expected at all.

"But I did, I did and you let me down," Sebastian snapped, clutching his books to his chest. He just wanted the bell to ring so that he could go to class and pretend that this never happened. Live in his imagination where Kurt and him could laugh together and hold hands the way they were meant to be.

But of course the bell didn't ring and Kurt was just staring at him as though there was something very frustrating written on his forehead.

"I was new here and I trusted you, Kurt. I still do, and you know what the worst part is? I still want to be your friend," Sebastian sighed dejectedly. "So I guess I'll see you under the bleachers during last period," he said bitterly before walking away.

He couldn't even start to explain how fucked up the entire situation was and frustrated tears were pressing at the corner of his eyes, fighting to break free while he held them back. None of this was fair. He was supposed to have a soulmate who was nice, funny and who liked superheros. Not some stupid, rude, obnoxious, petty criminal with piercings and the most gorgeous eyes known to mankind.

Sebastian learned that high school wasn't supposed to be fun, and it certainly wasn't fun to sit on plastic chairs that had penises drawn on them as though it was the funniest thing on earth. God, some of these students were so daft and infantile that he had no idea how they managed to pass middle school. But he tried to be polite and he even smiled at some of them. But for lunch, he was still sitting outside alone. But he was used to it.

He was reading a worn copy of Looking for Alaska by John Green when he heard someone sit down beside him.

Looking up in surprise, he saw Kurt's pierced tongue dart out to wet his own lips, looking at him apologetically.

"Hi."

"Hi?" Sebastian replied uncertainly, closing his book.

"What were you reading?"

"It's called a book. I'm not sure you are familiar with that term?"

"Very funny," Kurt retorted drily.

"What are you doing here, Kurt? I thought.. I thought you didn't want to be friends with me."

Kurt pulled a cigarette from behind his ear. "Maybe I changed my mind."

"Why?"

Sebastian's eyes watched in fascination as the crackling of the lighter turned into a splendid flame for just about two seconds before the tip of the cigarette lit up. The paper burned slowly and he watched as the smoke swirled out of Kurt's pink lips before the other boy spoke.

"Because maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you are not some rich stuck up kid. Maybe I want to be your friend," he shrugged.

And if Sebastian's heart beat faster from those words, he didn't acknowledge it.


End file.
